Liberation becomes a real possibility the moment I accept complete and total responsibility for my situation.

Then, and only then, do I cease to ignore the enlightened qualities of mind, by sitting around waiting on someone or something to enlighten me. It is at this point that I start to invest in my own potential, by doing the work required to rediscover intelligence, confidence, and dignity within myself. This is the beginning of the spiritual path.

“We do not have to rely on anyone else; in fact, it is not possible for anyone else to liberate us from our ego-clinging and disturbing emotions. Instead, we work to discover the basic awareness, strength, and positive qualities of our own mind.

…We discover that our path and practice are simply ourselves.

We take the initial steps ourselves, and we make this journey alone. There is a great sense of loneliness in this realization, and at the same time there is a great sense of relief. Our freedom is in our own hands. We no longer feel the need to acquire it from others. We are confident in our freedom and relieved that we are not always being chained to or bothered by other people. There is no Big Brother watching us, and there are no other people interfering with our path. It is none of our business, and there is nothing they can do for us on our path.

Underlying our sense of freedom and loneliness is the realization that the possibility of “being saved” does not exist. There is no salvation. Our path and practice are simply our own journey, into which we must put our own effort. There is no other being that has the power to save or condemn us. That is true whether that being is called Buddha, God, the external energy of nature, or anything else. No such power exists outside of us. We hold the key and the power to condemn or save ourselves.” ~from Wild Awakening by Dzogchen Ponlop Rinpoche

Dzogchen Ponlop Rinpoche talks about the spiritual path.

Elephant 365 is an example of Elephant Journal’s commitment to the Mindful Life. Everyday we will offer a new reading regarding meditation practice and the spiritual path, all infused with a fresh perspective on traditional spirituality. If you would like to follow Elephant 365 on FaceBook click here and become a fan of Elephant Meditation by clicking the “Like” tab at the top of the page.